Knowledge Construction: A Study Of LEGO Programming And Its Implications

This study is to investigate the effect of a general framework on knowledge construction. Nine elementary school students participated in the study. They were introduced to an overall knowledge structure before they took lessons that incorporated the same fundamental concepts as the overall knowledge structure. An analysis of their understanding of the selected Lego programming concepts and their underlying knowledge structure indicated that (1) participants, when provided with an explicit overall knowledge structure, developed highly differentiated conceptual and functional knowledge of the subject; (2) participants developed a coherent mental model that allowed them retrieve information both a higher abstract level and at a lower concrete level; and (3) participant prior knowledge interfered with their learning. Participants of higher prior knowledge were more successful at identifying and rectifying the inaccuracy and inconsistency of their knowledge than participants of lower prior knowledge. This study provides additional insights into learning process and effective instructional design.